Herd Health

In response to industry and consumer calls for more judicious antibiotic use, additional research has gone into selective dry cow treatment (SDCT).

Advice from multiple sources led herdsman and human resource manager Paul Lippert to set up on-farm mastitis culturing at his family owned dairy, Grass Ridge Farm LLC in Pittsville, Wisconsin.

Teat dips are all designed to protect the teat from the environment with various forms of germicide and an even greater variety of conditioning packages. The purpose of teat dipping is to provide a germicide that will kill mastitis-causing germs and apply skin conditioners that keep teat skin and ends healthy.

Researchers at the University of Alberta are in the process of developing a test which may allow dairy producers to test their cows for mastitis and receive the results in a matter of minutes.

A “do-not-breed” or DNB cow is a code in the dairy herd that allow managers to identify animals intended to be out of reproduction and that should leave the herd as soon as they reach the point of milk production where they are no longer able to cover costs.

Bedding. Bacteria. Better management.